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When there’s no internet, your “smart” phone may not feel so smart, but if you know you’re likely to be in a place where there’s no Wi-Fi or cell service, you can prepare your phone to be more than just a elegant paperweight.
Download media in advance
You can download music from a streaming service, like Spotify or Apple Music, for offline listening. Most streaming services allow you to download multiple songs or playlists for offline use.
The same goes for movies or TV shows from a video streaming service, like Netflix or Hulu. Many services allow you to download a limited number of titles for offline viewing.
You can also save eBooks from an ereading app, like the Kindle or Nook, to read later. The same goes for audiobooks, although of course they are much larger in terms of storage.
Many podcast apps allow you to download episodes for offline listening. Some podcasts have been running for years, so there’s a vast catalog to work from.
While we don’t consider them saveable content, you can save articles or web pages to read later using “read it later” apps like Pocket or Instapaper. This is perfect if you have to go by public transport where there is no Internet coverage.
Check that your apps are up to date and in offline mode
It’s a good idea to check for pending updates to the apps on your phone before you leave an Internet coverage area. It’s easy to do on both Android and iPhone. In some cases, apps or games you haven’t used in a while will require a login when your session has expired. So it’s a good idea to open the apps you think you’re likely to use while out of range and make sure your session is refreshed and the app is in its “offline mode” if it has that feature.
If you’ve recently installed an app but haven’t opened it yet, there may be additional resources. files that need to be downloaded before you can use the app. Therefore, it is a good idea to open new apps first and make sure they are fully installed.
Use an offline GPS app
Consider using a GPS app that is specifically designed for offline use, such as HERE WeGo or Maps.me. These apps allow you to search for points of interest and get turn-by-turn navigation without an internet connection. Google Maps also allows you to download maps to use when you’re out of signal range.
Keep in mind that using GPS can drain your phone’s battery more quickly, so it’s a good idea to make sure your phone is fully charged or bring a portable battery with you.
Put offline reference material on your phone
Perhaps the biggest party trick smartphones have is offering instant access to information about just about anything. However, without an internet connection, all that knowledge is out of reach; Or is that it?
In addition to loading your phone with reference eBooks, you can also download knowledge repositories to your phone for offline use. One of the easiest ways to do this is to use the Wikipedia app (Android and iOS). The official app allows you to create lists of articles and download them for offline reading.
RELATED: How to get navigation directions (even offline) without buying a GPS
However, if you In fact you want to pack the collective knowledge of humanity on your phone, you can use another app called Kiwix offline. This not only allows you to download the entire Wikipedia in all its 50 GB glory, but there are several other repositories for specialized purposes as well. Like the “life off the grid” download, which could have some crucial answers for those who go off the grid.
While these resource packs may seem huge, phones with 256GB or more of storage are common these days, and if you have a phone that supports SD card expansion, it’s easy and affordable to add enough storage to hold multiple resource packs.
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